Editor’s Note: In Wednesday’s Style section, ingredients from Carmen Montes’ Pecan Pie were inadvertently included in Brooke Dojny’s Mince Pie with Decorative Top Crust. The following is the correct recipe.

Mince Pie with Decorative Top Crust

From “The New England Cookbook” by Brooke Dojny, reprinted with permission of the author and Harvard Common Press.

If you prefer to use a traditional family recipe for the mincemeat, or to prepare the filling from a recipe, do so. Dojny recommends using store-bought mince filling and spicing it up a little.

Cream Cheese Pie Crust (recipe follows) or other dough for a double-crust pie

1 ripe but firm pear, such as a bosc or comice, peeled, cored and finely chopped (1 cup)

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup dark rum or bourbon

3 cups prepared mincemeat (1 28-ounce jar)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

For the crust:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces cold cream cheese, cut in 1-inch lumps

1/4 pound (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch slices

5 to 7 tablespoons cold milk or ice water

Pulse the flour with the sugar and salt in a food processor. Distribute the cream cheese and butter over the flour and pulse until most of the cheese and shortening is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of the milk or water evenly over the flour mixture and pulse just until no dry flour remains and the dough begins to clump together in small balls. If the mixture is too dry to press into a dough with your fingers, sprinkle one of the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water and pulse a few more times

Divide the dough in half and turn out onto two sheets of plastic wrap. Shape and flatten into 5-inch discs, wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or freeze. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling it out. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.

For the pie:

Roll half of the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the overhanging dough to 3/4 inch all around. Turn the edges under, flush with the rim of the pie plate, and crimp or flute. Place the prepared shell in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the second disc of dough to a 12-inch round. Using a cookie cutter or working freehand, cut out enough shapes (see note) to almost completely cover the top of the pie. Slip onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze.

Combine the chopped pear with the orange juice and rum in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pear is softened and most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in the mincemeat, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest and nutmeg and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Cool to room temperature before using or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Prick the bottom of the frozen pie shell all over with a fork. Bake until pale golden brown, 14 to 18 minutes. If the pastry starts to puff up, press the bottom gently with a large spoon or oven-mittened hand to flatten. Fill immediately or cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon the filling into the prebaked pie shell. Arrange the cutouts over the filling, overlapping slightly to cover most of the top, but leaving small spaces for vent holes. Brush the top crust with the egg glaze.

Bake until the crust is a rich golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve barely warm. If the pie cools completely, reheat in a 350-degree oven for a few minutes before serving.

Note: Use whatever shapes you like – leaves, hearts, turkeys, pumpkins, stars, or a purely decorative shape.

Recipe courtesy of Brooke Dojny.